


The Mending of a Wounded Heart

by drwritermom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Medical Jargon, vivid description of surgical recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 16:18:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17307809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drwritermom/pseuds/drwritermom
Summary: Severus Snape is suffering from a life-threatening heart condition caused by prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus curse.  Only  highly-invasive Muggle surgery can repair the damage.  Will a Muggle cardiothoracic surgical team succeed in mending a wounded heart caused by a violent megalomaniac?





	The Mending of a Wounded Heart

**Author's Note:**

> JKR owns these characters. The medical scenario closely mirrors my spouse’s recent surgical journey. The Muggle medical jargon and surgical course are not fictional. I wrote this to exorcise my demons. I have wondered what long term exposure to Cruciatus would do, this is my interpretation.

Severus Snape had many roles over his lifetime - war hero, former spy for the Light, ex-Death Eater, former Hogwarts headmaster, youngest Potions Master ever, and current Hogwarts Potions professor, just to name a few. His most important roles were those of husband to Harry Potter, and father to their triplets, Jimmy, Albie, and Lily. It was his devotion to his family that made him present to Madame Pomfrey one early summer evening, after a day at the Burrow with his beloved family ended with an episode of heart palpitations, and sudden onset of ankle swelling and shortness of breath.

Harry had left the children in the experienced and loving bosom of the Weasley family, and Apparated Severus by side-along to the Hogwarts gates, where Poppy and Minerva McGonagall were waiting. Minerva Apparated them all to the infirmary, and took her leave, after assuring the Potter-Snapes that anything within her power, she would do, all they had to do was ask.

The skilled Mediwitch took a thorough history, asking Severus and Harry about any symptoms that Snape had experienced, and for how long he had noticed them. 

Severus tried to minimize his symptoms, but Harry wasn’t having it. In a voice that brooked no argument, Harry reported the restless nights Snape had been experiencing, waking up from a sound sleep, anxious and short of breath. He also pointed out that over the last several months, Severus developed swollen ankles by the end of each workday, with the swelling sometimes going right up to his knees. Shortness of breath and sweating, with only minor exertion, and bone-crushing fatigue were also present over the same time period. 

Madame Pomfrey listened carefully, and when Harry finished talking, she fixed the Potions Master with her sternest “don’t you dare lie to me” glare. “Severus, is all of this correct? And why did you not come to me sooner?”

Severus honed his death glare on his husband, who let out a nervous chuckle. “If I may be permitted to speak, husband”, he snarled, looking very much like a dangerous, wounded beast. 

“Harry is correct, I have not been feeling myself, but isn’t that to be expected of a man nearing sixty?”

“Severus, if you were a Muggle, I would agree only that these symptoms can be seen in an unhealthy sixty year old man, but you are fifty five, otherwise healthy, and a wizard, you just aren’t old or infirm enough to explain this constellation of symptoms. Allow me to scan you, and if I find what I am suspecting, we need to make plans for further diagnostics and treatment.”

Poppy Accioed a large wand, then pulled a screen that looked like a Muggle projector screen to the side of the examining table. In total silence, she began passing the wand in precise arcs, starting from his neck and extending down the length of his body. On the screen, images similar to Muggle x-rays appeared first, showing an mildly enlarged heart, and clear lungs. After those appeared, a series of images reminiscent of CT scan images of the chest and abdomen appeared sequentially, which showed a widening of his ascending aorta, beginning at the aortic root. The rest of his aorta was unaffected.

Poppy Pomfrey took a steadying breath as she processed the information the scans provided. 

“Severus, Harry, I know what is causing these symptoms. Severus, you have an aortic root aneurysm with moderate aortic insufficiency, based on your symptoms and your physical findings. If you were a Muggle, I would tell you that this occurs sporadically, there are no known causes, only exacerbating factors, and that you are actually lucky we found it early.

“As you are not a Muggle, I know how you developed this. Extended exposure to the Cruciatus curse leads to large artery instability. One round of Cruciatus is not enough, your magic can protect your large blood vessels from damage. Repeated exposure destroys the magical field surrounding the vessels, weakening them. Since the Dark Lord favored instilling loyalty into his followers by aiming his Crucios straight to the chest, there has been a tremendous rise of thoracic aortic aneurysms amongst Death Eaters and survivors of his Death Eater attacks. Many in Azkaban have died from this, the diagnosis made after death, via autopsy.”

“Will Severus die?”, Harry whispered, too afraid to say the words any louder, fearing they would curse Severus further.

“Harry, Severus need not die from this, Muggle and Squib surgeons have perfected a surgical procedure that replaces the aortic valve and the dilated aortic root. There is a ninety-five percent complete recovery rate.”

“Muggle surgery is barbaric, Poppy, are there no magical means to cure this?”, Severus murmured.

“Severus, the destruction of the magical matrix around your heart and large arteries is the very reason that magical intervention would be useless. You need that matrix in order for the magical treatment to be effective. The only method available to you is surgery. I know a cardiothoracic surgeon in London, he is a Squib, the husband of a Hogwarts graduate, Cho Chang, and a dear nephew of mine. He has treated cases like yours, in fact, I have permission to refer you to a patient of his, for moral support. You know him well.”

“You can’t mean Lucius Malfoy!” Severus looked too stunned to speak.

“That highly reported early release from Azkaban was a mission of mercy, an emergency flight to Royal Bromptom Hospital to repair a leaking thoracic aortic aneurysm before it ruptured. Lucius Malfoy told the surgeon to notify me of his condition and subsequent surgery, in the event that you developed the same affliction.”

“Please give me the contact details of the surgeon, that I might schedule an appointment”, Severus mumbled, as he battled the feeling of his life spinning out of control.

“Severus, I can make the arrangements with the surgeon, we obviously have a long history, he is family. Call Lucius Malfoy, you can use the Floo in my private study, first door to your right.”

“I’m coming with you, Sev, you shouldn’t have to make this call alone”, Harry murmured as he helped his beloved soulmate off the examining table.

“The children, what will we tell the children?”, Snape sobbed, as the weight of his diagnosis enveloped him.

Guiding Severus through the study door, Harry stated “Whatever we tell them, we shall do it together, when we know what needs to happen next”. 

Flooing Lucius Malfoy proved to be a cathartic experience for both Severus and Lucius. Seeing Lucius looking vibrantly healthy after having his chest cut open and his heart literally in another man’s hands, quelled the abject terror Poppy’s diagnosis instilled in him.

“Severus, I owe my life to the Muggle doctors who took my wounded heart and made it whole. Yes, surgery seems barbaric, but this Muggle surgery has repaired what dark magic almost destroyed. I made a sizable anonymous donation to the cardiothoracic unit, they do miracles that no mere magic can perform.”

“Lucius, how was the recovery? How long did it take?”

“Potter, in a word, difficult. It was a very painful recovery, no magic, just Muggle medical treatment. I’m sure Poppy explained that the use of magic actually impedes recovery. The pain of recovery made it difficult to appreciate that the symptoms present before surgery were gradually improving. 

“The recovery process took approximately six weeks, although the chest muscle pain took about four months to resolve. The worst parts of the recovery were the pain of the first two weeks, and the grappling with my own mortality. And the interesting heart rhythms that occurred postoperatively were no picnic, expect to be on heart medications after surgery. The conducting system of the heart gets roughed up by the surgery, which causes some rapid rhythms. I would get sweaty and anxious. Let your cardiologist know if this occurs, it’s not anxiety, it’s an abnormal heart rhythm.”

“Lucius, you sound like Pomfrey-“

“Severus, you will, too, when your surgery and recovery are all done and dusted, but I must confess, I would do it all again, without hesitation, to feel the way I do today.”

Poppy Pomfrey entered, ready to provide Severus and Harry all of the documentation needed for the professor’s further testing and treatment. 

“It’s wonderful to see you looking so healthy, Mister Malfoy.”

“Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I understand that I owe my life to your timely intervention on my behalf, by pleading to Minister Shacklebolt and Dr. Pomfrey-Chang.”

“Your son Draco pleaded with me, he was my apprentice, I could not help but intercede on behalf of his father. There is no debt, it is my sworn duty to preserve life.”

“Poppy, I’ll take those, and make the necessary appointments. Severus, I am sorry to cut your Floo call short, but it’s time for us to return to our quarters”, Harry whispered into his husband’s ear.

“You will be in excellent hands, Severus, and I know Harry will provide excellent care before and after the surgery. No lifting anything over five pounds, do not add salt to your food or eat items such as soup or vegetables or prepared meals in tins. Keep your legs elevated when reading, and it goes without saying, any chest pain or worsening of symptoms, you Floo call Dr. Pomfrey-Chang immediately. I have included his home and work Floo coordinates. If you have any questions, my Floo is open to both of you. Oh, and marital relations are permitted, as long as you don’t support your weight with your arms.” Poppy then turned and exited the office, leaving the two men to finish the Floo call to Lucius Malfoy.

“I wish you the best of luck, my old friend. I know you are in good hands.” With that, Lucius disappeared, leaving Severus and Harry in a state of shock.

“I love you, Sev. Let’s go home.” Harry hooked his arm through the crook of Snape’s arm, and the two Apparated to their quarters.

Time seemed to fly from then on. Telling the family, going to appointments, hospital pre-admission testing, all proceeded at a maddening pace. 

The day before the surgery, Severus had his pre-admission cardiac catherization. Sitting alone in the waiting room, Harry prayed, asking that no other cardiac abnormality be found. It was a great relief, when the interventional cardiologist declared his heart to be healthy, and his coronary arteries clear; except for the 5.7 cm aortic root aneurysm, and the incompetent aortic valve, his heart was healthy. Both the root and the valve would need to be replaced. 

Severus chose a metal aortic valve. He would rather take oral blood thinner for the rest of his life, over the prospect of having a bio-prosthetic valve and no oral anticoagulant. There was no way he was repeating the procedure in fifteen years, to replace a worn-out valve. Wizards lived an awfully long time, the number of procedures would be intolerable.

The night before the surgery that would change his life forever, Severus and Harry shared Sev’s hospital bed. Staring into each other’s eyes, they freely shared their feelings via Legilimency. Severus did not occlude, he shared his fear of leaving his children without their Papa, and Harry without his soulmate. Harry shared how much Severus owned his heart and soul, and how much he treasured Severus as the sire and father of their children. They fell asleep, exhausted, with tears staining their cheeks, clutching each other for support.

Early the next morning, the duo were awakened. Severus was wheeled into the pre-surgical ward, with Harry following the stretcher. The pre-op nurse prepped him for surgery, with Harry just behind the privacy curtain. Fear raced through Harry’s veins. His soulmate’s life was now balanced on the edge of a scalpel’s blade. Before he could let out a sob, the curtain snapped open. Harry successfully Occluded for the first time ever, as he turned to his beloved, and placed a heartfelt, but chaste kiss on his lips. Harry watched helplessly, as the other half of his soul was wheeled into the operating theater.

The next four hours and thirty five minutes, spent in the cardiothoracic surgery waiting room, were pure torture. The children were at the Burrow, Molly and Arthur took the twelve year old triplets the day before the cardiac catheterization. Harry had elected to wait out the surgery alone. He knew that he would feel obligated to reassure his family members, relieving their anxieties at the expense of his own sanity. 

The surgeon emerged, beckoning Harry to a small room right off the waiting room. “Mister Potter, your husband came through the procedure without a hitch, except for the lemon-sized aneurysm, which is now gone. The graft and valve are in place and working properly in consort with his heart. The CT-ICU nurse will fetch you when he is settled. He is on the ventilator, as his anesthesia wears off, the breathing tube will be removed. I strongly encourage you to go home, I will have his nurse call you when he has been extubated and can speak coherently. Here is a mobile that is compatible with a magical home. See him, then get some sleep.

Within the hour, Harry was led to the CT-ICU. Harry was stunned by the appearance of his beloved. There was a tube in his throat, two tubes coming from each chest wall, and a thin tune coming from a vein leading straight to his heart. He was dwarfed by the medical machinery he was hooked to. The ICU specialist assured Harry that Severus was stable and doing as well as he could after the arduous surgery. Harry was overwhelmed, after squeezing Sev’s hand and professing his love, he hurried from the unit, found a secluded apparition point, and Apparated to their Hogwarts quarters. After a quick Floo call to the Burrow, Harry retired to the master bedroom. 

It took several minutes for Harry to realize that the wrenching sobs he was hearing were coming from him. One look at their bed was all it took for Harry to zone out, collapsing on the bed as he absorbed the utter absence of the other half of his soul.

Poppy Pomfrey appeared by his side, with a vial of Calming Draught and another, of Dreamless Sleep. “Harry, please take these and sleep. I will accompany you to the hospital tomorrow-“

“What if Severus calls while I am sleeping? I can’t miss that call.”

“Harry, I spoke to Severus last night, while you Floo-called the Weasleys. He brewed these before you both reported to the hospital. He wanted you to sleep tonight, so that you will be well-rested when he is moved to a room. He knows he will depend on you and wants you to be at your best from the start. Give me your phone, if he calls, I’ll take the call. Sleep well, Harry.”

Knowing Poppy’s resolve, he took the potions without protest. Poppy tiptoed out of the room, to the sound of soft snoring.

After a dreamless slumber, Harry awoke to the absence of Severus. It took a solid minute for the sleepy haze to dissipate, and for Harry to remember that Severus was at Royal Bromptom Hospital. After a quick shower and a shaving charm, Harry got dressed and hurried to the infirmary. Poppy was already waiting, with a granola bar and a can of pumpkin juice. 

“Bottom’s up, Mister Potter, you musn’t Apparate on an empty stomach!” 

Harry let out a chuckle, and did what he was told. They quickly strode out of the castle, and Apparated to the hospital.

Poppy confidently strode to the Cardiothoracic floor, and sought out her nephew, who was in the middle of rounds. He was about to enter Snape’s room, when he spotted his Aunt Poppy and Harry.

“I’m just about to round on Severus, please join me.” The trio entered his room together. ”Severus, how are you doing this morning?”, he queried.

“I am alive. I am covered in sweat. Every few hours, one of several pain meds wears off. I have tubes coming out of many surgically created holes, drawing into a vacuum pump, and a catheter coming out of my penis, draining my bladder. I should hate my very existence, yet this is less horrific than a second under Cruciatus. All in all, I’ve honestly been worse. But not by much.” 

Serverus continued speaking. “Can I substitute pain potions for the Muggle narcotics? It is my understanding that the pain potions will not interfere with post-operative healing or the Muggle cardiac medications.”

“Master Snape, you may take pain potions, I’ll discontinue the narcotics. Poppy will work with the nurses to ensure their proper dosing. Wizarding patients do not tolerate Muggle opiate medications, pain potions are far more effective in modulating pain perception with much lower opiate doses. The diaphoresis you are experiencing should be lessened with this change in pain control.”

Harry was too overwhelmed with the whole of the medical paraphernalia attached to, and surrounding his husband to take in the exchange between his husband and the surgeon, until the word “diaphoresis” infiltrated his consciousness.

“Diaphoresis? What the hell is that? Is it serious? Can it be cured?”

“Mister Potter-Snape, please calm down, your husband is doing very well for being one day post-op. Diaphoresis means intense sweating that occurs under medical stress. The surge of adrenaline after cardiac surgery can cause it directly after surgery, and certain opiates can cause it, soon after a dose is given. Discontinuing the pills will decrease the sweating.”

“Harry, my own, I am irritable right now. Please, take a calming draught, your anxiety affects me greatly.”

Harry hurried out of the room. Tears were flowing as he reached the hallway. Poppy caught him in her arms, embracing the now sobbing man.

“Harry, you are also running on adrenaline. Seeing such a strong man in obvious pain, with tubes and drains and intravenous lines attached, is a shocking sight. It is traumatic, watching a loved one suffer without the means to alleviate his suffering. Here’s the calming draught, please take it, and we’ll return to his room.”

One potion later, Harry returned to the room, as Poppy brought the pain potions and their dosing instructions to the nursing station. The surgeon had left the room after Harry had fled.

“Harry, come to me. Take my hand, beloved, I have missed you”, Severus whispered. Taking the seat next to his husband, Harry took the offered hand in both of his. “I feel as if I am sleepwalking through my worst nightmare”, Harry whispered.

“Look at me, Harry. I am in excellent hands here. I have the love of my family and friends. I am doing well. Pain is not life threatening, and it will lessen with each passing day. The aneurysm was found before it irreparably harmed me. I have been repaired, now the work of recovery begins.”

The following weeks had highs (removal of the tubes and IVs, walking the unit unaided, discharge from the hospital) and lows (readmission to the cardiothoracic floor for rapid heart rate, electrical cardioversion to stop the tachycardia , and amiodarone, an oral anti-arrhythmia medication after two unsuccessful cardioversions). The second discharge “took”, and Severus spent the next four weeks recovering at the Burrow, under the watchful eyes of his husband, his children and a myriad of Weasleys.

A thunderous round of applause erupted in the Great Hall on September first, when Severus Snape and his mended heart strutted in, followed by his loving family. Snape nodded to all assembled, as he and Harry ascended to the professors table, while the younger Potter-Snapes took their seats at their respective tables (Jaime, Gryffindor; Albie, Ravenclaw; and Lily, Slytherin).

All was finally well.


End file.
